So shield brethren, it comes to this!

I've followed Turisas with interest since a good friend recommended 'Battle Metal' to me a few years back. I've since seen them destroy the WET tent at Wacken several times over, take over Download and Bloodstock Open Air, and on their own headline tour. They were the media darlings, new and exciting, and 'Battle Metal' had it all - the anthem, the song to your dead drinking buddy, 'One More', and the many calls to the shield wall. At the time of their first album, Turisas really could do no wrong, 'Battle Metal' started a genre all of its own and got all the kids raiding and pillaging every nearby fancy dress and toy store on their tours. Meanwhile the Boney M cover 'Rasputin' brought Turisas an instant surge in mainstream metal popularity but for this writer at least it has been difficult to live down.

I was also less convinced by 'Varangian Way', their tricky second album, with only one track 'To Holmgard And Beyond' really sticking in my mind. But as I've intimated already, having caught up with Turisas live more than just a few times, and despite losing members, the mighty Warlord Nygard and crew have always delivered live, and soon had the crowd punching the air. Certainly despite their short set at Sonisphere last year Turisas still showed more than being a one trick band, and this is something I was hoping the band's third album was going to deliver on.

With Mr Nygard all over the current issue of Metal Hamster (sic) saying that "'Stand Up And Fight' is the album he wants to be remembered for." I couldn't help but think that isn't that the usual thing a band hyping a new product is expected to say? But damn it if the man hasn't got a point here, as 'Stand Up And Fight' is a continuation of the journey started by the 'Varangian Way', and as storytellers Tu-ree-sas (for that's how they should be formally addressed) are masters of the art. The atmosphere is beautifully orchestral throughout. The band state their intention is grand, and "cinematic" is a word used by the press release, that for once it's actually a very apt descriptor. Think 'Lord Of The Rings' meets 'Ben Hur' and you're not far off.

Let the trumpets resound...our story starts in ancient Constantinople and mixes the orthodox with hints of the old Soviet/imperial Russian. The opener 'March Of The Varangian Guard' is an epic celebratory anthem that takes the album off to war with all the pomp and circumstance and honour associated with the battle metal legions. I can see this being wonderfully singalong. 'Take The Day' continues with the epic theme, but tinges with brutal rasping vocals as the battle (metal) rages on. In 'Hunting Pirates' the band have definitely gone all Alestorm on us, "arrrgh me hearties, Jim lad, walk the plank" and all that. It's a bouncingly good shanty, but really is it a cynical battle metal smash and grab to capture a share of the pirate metal audience (or are they one in the same?) Who cares, just pass the rum...This is another one destined to be a live favourite.

'Venetoi! - Prasinoi!' is a merry jig, where trumpets fanfare flair and announce, "Let the games begin" heralding the title track. 'Stand Up And Fight' starts reflective and deals with modern themes as equally as those of medieval Europe. They're still fast and thrash metal enough to have the relevance to this audience, but the emphasis here is clearly on theatre and background and most importantly the storytelling.

'Fear And Fear' is a five-minute ponderous epic that seems to reflect on man's intervention and ability to change the human condition - "a wake up call to us all to change the world". It ends superbly anthemic with Nygard's voice pitching emotion and feeling. 'End Of An Empire' brings the album to a crescendo of emotion, and hate, and then reflects on the next steps of revolution with beautifully arranged choirs celebrating the climax of the song. This leaves us with the sad reflective lament of  'The Bosphorus Freezes Over', and its underlying message "it's not what you end with, it's what you leave behind", which actually leaves me thinking "Is this the end of the Turisas journey and this epic opus their legacy to the world?" Certainly with Nygard's Metal Hammer comments still fresh in mind you could be forgiven for thinking this is their final and finest hour?

Overall you have to admire the scale of what the band have achieved here, the orchestration, and the production are simply staggering. We are "treated to real string and horn sections played by some of the best Finnish classical musicians, hand-picked from leading symphony orchestras at home and abroad" and this talent lends quality and weight to the production values. Is this an album you'd want to see/hear live though? Well, yes, together with a play, and actors, in operatic style...hell yeah!  I'm not sure I want to see them play this on the WET stage at Wacken though, which might limit Turisas going forward! Stadium rock and big theatre production is what the aim is here, but whether the fans (plus record company and promoters) desire anything more than simply a soundtrack to getting pissed and dressing up to is another matter.

Let's just hope Turisas get the opportunity to showcase this masterpiece properly!

To battle comrades!

http://www.myspace.com/turisasofficial